With sunshine beaming down on the Déise, record numbers of runners, walkers and joggers took to the roads of the city and its surrounds on Sunday for the 12th Waterford Viking Marathon.
O'Connell Street was littered with people, colour and sound as the organiser's prayers were answered with the weather deciding to thankfully play ball.
Faces new and old crossed the line with smiles spreading as they clicked off their watches to see what times had been set.
It was also a day for the local clubs who showed up well in the top 10s across the three distances on offer for women and men, young and old.
Movers and Shakers
Alexander Wallace of St. Coca's AC is the full-distance marathon winner for 2024, backing up his previous win from 2019.
The Glasgow native who now calls Kildare home crossed the line in 2.26.49, some two minutes quicker than his run five years ago.
Asked by WLR presenter Aoibhin Fallon how he felt shortly after crossing the line, Andrew was breathless in his repose of, "hot."
"Delighted obviously. Tired and delighted. It was very very hot. There was a bit of a headwind on the way out and a tailwind on the way back so that kind of helped, but you missed the breeze on the way back to take some of the heat off you but yeah, I'm over the moon"
Reflecting on his 2019 win, Wallace felt that this year's edition was an improvement with a more forgiving course towards the end.
"I don't know which one was tougher. It was as hot the last day and the finish this year is much better, finishing on O'Connell Street as opposed to the climb up from the greenway to the arena which was a lot tougher. It was nice to run downhill for the last mile."
"It starts fantastic with the Viking clap and everything and yeah, once you're on the greenway you couldn't ask for much more right? It's just out and back with a little bit of a drag, but you get the full benefit of the downhill on the way back, it's a smashing course."
The first lady home was New Ross' Beth O'Connor of United Striders A.C. in 3.14.19.
"I'm on top of the world," she said having gotten some air back into the lungs at the finish. "The body cramps will kick in later alright, but for the moment I'm delighted all together."
O'Connor ran her first marathon in recent years, running 3.42 in Dublin as she set her sights on running the London Marathon. She came to Waterford last year for her first try at the Viking Marathon, needing 3.53 to qualify for London, setting a time of 3.23, well inside the required standard.
"I was delighted. It was such a good event I was coming back, and I was second last year."
In the half marathon Waterford AC's Pat Fitzgerald flew the Déise flag to take first in 1.14.00 with Linda Grogan of Dundrum AC the first lady home in 1.25.49, improving on her second-place finish in the 2022 race.
"It was a great race," said Grogan. "I found the conditions tough towards the end. I suppose the first ten miles I was steady enough and then struggled a little bit the last three, but look, it was a great occasion. Delighted with the win but more particularly I was delighted with the run. A couple of weeks ago in Limerick, I hadn't a great experience in the half so it was nice to come away with a good performance today."
While in the quarter marathon, Andrew Connick took first for Ferrybank AC, setting a time of 21.4 with Keeley Tideswell the first woman home in 35.54.
Connick told WLR's live outside broadcast on O'Connell Street that "It was a great day." He continued giving credit "to all of the volunteers and people that organised the event as a lot of time and effort goes into it, its brilliant to see and great for Waterford with all the local clubs and runners."
His own club in Ferrybank took four of the top ten places in the quarter distance with Craig O'Brien third, Tadgh Moriarty fifth and John Francis ninth.
We kind of had it as a focus event this year because obviously it's local and it's a great opportunity to promote the club and the group we have with the people who are training with us. It was a great day out for us and we still have a few people coming in on the half so we'll be getting out on the course to shout them on, hopefully to quick times."
While Tideswell attended the Waterford Viking Marathon for the first time and will be bringing home a gold medal for her efforts.
"I entered before covid and I never made it so it was actually brilliant, I really enjoyed it. It was a bit lonely the last two miles because the men had gone ahead of me and the half marathon and the marathon went the other way, but it was lovely on the greenway, yeah."
Results:
Marathon Men:
1. Alexander Wallace, St Coac's A.C, 2.26.49
2. Tudor Mircea, Clonliffe Harriers A.C, 2.29.05
3. Simon Nolan, N/A, 2.35.17.
Marathon Women:
1. Beth O'Connor, United Strider A.C, 3.14.19
2. Siobhan Holland, Eagle A.C, 3.24.19
3. Aoife O'Sullivan, Donoughmore A.C, 3.27.51
1/2 Marathon Men:
1. Pat Fitzgerald, Waterford A.C, 1.14.00.
2. Barry Meehan, Raheny Shamrock A.C, 1.14.06.
3. Conor Kavanagh, Waterford A.C, 1.14.42.
1/2 Marathon Women:
1. Linda Grogan, Dundrum A.C, 1.25.49.
2. Keah Headon, N/a, 1.28.16.
3. Edel Byrne, Tramore A.C 1.31.23.
1/4 Men:
1. Andrew Connick, Ferrybank A.C, 33.06.
2. Fergal Campbell, N/A, 33.31.
3. Craig O'Brien, Ferrybank A.C, 33.58.
1/4 Women:
1. Kealey Tideswell, Clonmel A.C, 35.54.
2. Sharon Kiely, N/A, 37.22.
3. Graine Brennan, N/A, 40.46.
Further results outside the top three for each distance can he found here.
